We are passionate about customer protection and rights – and providing impartial, unbiased advice on the subject of soft water wherever we can. 

When it comes to selecting a particular water softener or supplier, we want consumers to select what they feel is best for them and not feel pressured into making decisions.  

This is why we thought it would be helpful to provide you with a list of who we consider to be the top ten UK manufacturers of water softeners. We act as installers for some of these companies and others we don’t. The ones we supply are marked with an asterisk. From time to time, we may amend and update this list.  Above all, we want you to make an informed choice about the best products that are out there on the market.  

1. MolliVita

MolliVita have been consistently described as the UK’s most affordable range of water softeners. That’s because they provide soft water solutions for everyone, at everyday prices. But that’s only a smidgeon of the story.

From a consumer perspective, there’s nothing on the market quite like them. Yes, they are very reliable (as are other types of water softener) but MolliVita are the only water softeners that come with what amounts to a life-time guarantee. After paying outright for your water softener, you won’t have to pay for another one ever again. Once the product comes to the end of its shelf life – which could be as much as 15 years – or it develops a problem which is expensive to repair, you’ll get a like-for-like MolliVita installed in your property – free of charge.

All you need to do to ensure non-stop, hassle-free softened water is maintain an affordable monthly payment, which includes your annual servicing.

Modern, minimalist and with a high-spec design – without the eye-watering costs you’ll find with other products – there are actually seven varieties of MolliVita in the range, to suit all budgets and requirements. Mollies (for short) are snug enough to fit into small apartments or larger homes with up to three or four bathrooms – providing as much soft water as you need 24/7.

User-friendly features include:

Low salt alarm
Anti-flood alarm
Holiday mode
Dry brine tank
Service alarm
Optional WiFi and anti-salt bridging

The MolliVita range is our number one pick, because it has opened up a whole new era of affordable water softeners for households throughout the south of England, who may have never previously considered softened water as a viable option. MolliVita, which roughly translates as Soft for Life, is sold exclusively in the UK by Scott Jenkins Water Softeners.

2. EcoWater

As one of the oldest and largest water treatment companies, American based EcoWater manufacture around one out of every four domestic water softeners that are sold, with offices in the USA, Canada, Europe, China and here in the UK. 

Known for their reliability, efficiency and being very economical to run, EcoWater has been an integral part of our water softener range for a number of years. Today, they are consistently our biggest sellers. We are big fans!

Technologically advanced, the success of their systems is based around a single tank, electronic formula – which is different from the more commonly available twin tank, non-electronic designed water softeners that are widely sold. 

The advantages EcoWater offers:

• On demand soft water as opposed to twin tank 24/7 softened water
• Improved efficiency   
• Simpler design with fewer component parts and easy-to-use gadgetry
• Guaranteed even water flow throughout – as opposed to the possible fluctuating water flow during regeneration experienced with twin tank systems
• With EcoWater, you don’t need to use block salt, which makes the softeners cheaper to run  

Their softeners meter your water daily, using their own patented algorithm to control the required regenerations, based on your water usage. For instance, if you use more water at the weekends than during the week, the water softener will know this and adjust its capacity accordingly.

All EcoWater water softeners and filters have the ability to be connected to an app, so that you can monitor and manage your unit from your PC, tablet or smartphone. The smart electronics means you don’t need to keep checking the salt levels. If you aren’t too bothered about streamlining all the electronic capability, EcoWater softeners work equally well as conventional water softeners. You decide what works best for you.

All in all, in our view, they are hard to beat.  

3. Kinetico

Founded in 1970, Kinetico promote themselves as the world’s leading manufacturers of high quality domestic and commercial water treatment products.

Unlike EcoWater with their market-leading single tank water softeners, Kinetico are arguably the number one kids on the block when it comes to twin tank systems. In fact, they invented the innovative, non-electric, twin-tank water softener, which continues to be incredibly popular to this day. They’ve got plenty of high-profile customers, too, including Buckingham Palace, the Savoy, Thames Water and the Royal Mint.

We have been selling Kinetico water softeners for years – they make a cracking good product – and although we don’t sell quite as many as EcoWater, Kinetico is our highly commended second-best seller.  

With three tried and tested robust water softeners to suit all sizes of household, what we also like about Kinetico is that they aren’t some little-known company that is hard to get hold of if things go wrong – which they seldom do, in our experience.  

Kinetico water softeners are marketed as being environmentally friendly because their systems monitor water usage and only process your water when needed, eliminating waste and minimising energy usage. They are also built to last. As an example, their best-selling Premier Compact Water Softener comes with a 10-year warranty. All Kinetico products are fully compliant with the UK’s WRAS. 

Not only can they be relied upon to give you consistently soft water which is great for your skin and hair, Kinetico water softeners will also protect your appliances and help you make healthy savings each month on your cleaning products. 

4. Harvey

The Harvey™ Water Softener has been developed over decades and is named after the product’s founder, Harvey Bowden. Nevertheless, the company has undergone many changes over the years and they are now owned by Culligan (who also feature in this list).   

Harvey Water Softeners are another of the ranges that we sell, although not to the same extent as either EcoWater or Kinetico. 

Their range of softeners are tailored to the domestic market and are of a non-electric, water pressure-powered, twin cylinder design. They are approved by the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS) to comply with current water regulations. 

Main features & specifications

• Twin cylinder design guarantees softened water 24/7
• Accurate metering system to avoid water waste
• Uses compact block salt for easy storing and re-filling
• Performance tested to 1 million cycles (British standard is 5000 cycles)
• Max flow rate: 56 litres per minute
• Uses 250-350 grams of salt per regeneration
• Uses 17 litres of water per regeneration
• Regeneration takes approximately 11 minutes
• 3000 litres capacity per day
• Dimensions: H:487mm x D:438mm x W:202mm

5. Hague

Hague is one of the oldest and most respected brands in the water treatment industry, established back in 1960 in the United States.

Since then, Hague water systems have stayed in the forefront of the water treatment industry technology. 

Hague Water UK offers various models of water softeners, water filters and whole house water systems, featuring the company’s Hague patented design tanks, Hague patented control valves, power failure protection, safety shut-off, and an absolute brining feature. 

Their softeners are designed to be economical and efficient and all Hague systems come with a 10–25 year limited warranty.

HQW is the authorised Hague Quality Water dealer in the UK. 

6. BWT

BWT stands for “Best Water Technology” and their tag line is “BWT – For You and Planet Blue”.

They are based in Austria and primarily services the European market, including the UK.

Apart from water softeners, the company produces a number of other water treatment technologies.  The products are WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) approved and typically come with a 5-year parts and a 2-year labour at home warranty.

Their softeners, which come with a full installation kit, are suitable for tablet or block salt use. You can either fit your own water softener, call on a professional plumber to do the installation or check with the company directly to see if there is a dealer in your area.  No metering, not salt efficient.

7. Monarch

Monarch Water offers a range of water softeners (electric and non-electric), water filters and purifiers, scale and corrosion inhibitors, and taps and calcium filters – all designed to prevent the effects of hard water and limescale build-up. 

Founded in the early sixties, the company has gone from being a localised East Anglia business to arguably one of the largest water softener companies in the UK.

Members of the WRAS, the company believe they have the UK’s longest lasting domestic softener product, still working tirelessly after 45 years of use! They provide a 7-year parts & 2-year labour guarantee on all their domestic softeners. 

8. Tapworks

Tapworks Water Softeners are a trade-focussed water softener company. Their products are made in the US, then shipped and stocked in the UK.  

They claim that 1 in 4 water softeners globally is made by the Tapworks group of companies. 

• The standard domestic water softener range has a high flow valve and is suitable for 15 mm and 22 mm plumbing. 
• They produce a larger home water softener, suitable for properties with 28 mm plumbing.
• They have a light commercial range for high demand homes and small businesses.

Tapworks water softeners are available at local builder and plumbers’ merchants. The company recommend that their water softeners should be installed by a qualified plumber.

9.Calmag

Calmag claim to be the only independently owned UK manufacturers, who  produce a complete range of water treatment products and services for both domestic and commercial customers. Founded in 2002, they develop and manufacture a diverse range of water treatment solutions, including water softeners. 

They enjoy the largest share of scale inhibitor sales in the UK, according to figures collated by BEAMA (the British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers’ Association). It is a strongly recognised brand within the plumbing and heating industry. All their products are backed by long guarantees. 

10. Culligan 

Culligan UK is the parent company of Harvey Water Softeners, whose products we sell. 

Culligan is actually an American based company offering a range of water treatment solutions. In the UK, their focus is on the commercial sector providing water softeners for a range of British businesses from manufacturing and processing to the hospitality and leisure sectors.  If your office needs a water softener, then Culligan could provide a sensible option. Harvey, meanwhile, focus exclusively on the domestic market.   

We hope this overview proves helpful. For further enquiries about water softener products, installation and maintenance services, contact SJ Water Softeners. We are one of the leading water softener companies in the south of England with particular focus on West and East Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey, although we do venture further afield. For an instant quote, click here Which water softener is right for you – Scott Jenkins Water Softeners in Sussex (sjwatersofteners.co.uk)

Tel 01243 607494 or email: scott@sjbs.info